Hams Help When Phones Fail at Southern California Hospital

By Joe Moell, K0OV
ARRL ARDF Coordinator

When nurses and other caregivers picked up their phones at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in California in the early morning on March 21, there was no dial tone. A power surge caused the central processor in the hospital’s phone switch to fail. Following established procedures, the Lead Operator at the CHOC switchboard immediately activated the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS), using an off-switch tie-line to reach April Moell, WA6OPS, head of this ARES® group that specializes in helping hospitals when their communications fail.

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